BREEDING & INCUBATORS

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1 BREEDING & INCUBATORS Breading Season is about to start, that is, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. If not, don t wory, this Special will be saved for you in the digital archives at our site. It is only when daylight hours reach a certain length and the temperature rises that birds will breed, (usually Spring). These conditions act upon the birds' pituitary gland and promotes sexual activity. It is this same reason why most hens stop laying completely through the winter months. This is all known as the biological breeding clock. This info is with courtesy of Greg Davies - The Chook Shed at

2 Planning a successful hatch starts with the parent birds, long before any eggs are even collected. Healthy adults breed healthy chicks, so it is important to get the breeding stock as healthy and fit as possible. Select the birds to breed with and separate them into pens away from other fowls. A special feeding regime should begin about 6 weeks before the first egg is collected; that provides a high protein ration, plenty of green feeds and a vitamin supplement if possible. This provides the birds with the necessary nutrition to produce nutritionally-rich eggs which gives the growing embryo the best possible start to life. It is unwise to be tempted into setting eggs from birds that have not been prepared for breeding Once the eggs are collected, select only the best for incubation. Check each egg for shape and shell texture. Discard any which are too round or too narrow and any which have thin shells or fine hairline cracks. The ones that pass the test must be stored correctly. Eggs must not be kept any longer than seven days before beginning the incubation process. Egg shells are porous, which means dehydration begins to occur quite quickly, severely lessening the chances of a successful hatch. After an egg is laid, it cools rapidly, causing the embryo to go into a state of suspended animation. It is important that the eggs are kept at a sufficiently cool temperature to prevent incubation starting too soon. The eggs must be collected as soon as possible after laying, to prevent soiling or other damage. Furthermore, eggs left in the nest begin the incubation process as they are warmed by the hens sitting on them while laying more eggs on subsequent days. The optimum temperature for egg storage is between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius. Any cooler and the embryo is unable to begin development when the temperature is raised and conversely, eggs stored too warmly begin embryo development, but as the temperature is not sufficiently high to continue the process, the embryo dies. Eggs which are in storage must be turned each day to prevent membrane and embryo damage caused by sticking to the shell. Most serious breeders of show fowls use incubators to hatch their chicks. This is because broody hens are often unavailable when the supply of hatching eggs is greatest. But broodies still give excellent results when available. For info about using the old-fashioned (but still ever reliable) hen, see: In the next pages we will will look at artificial incubators. There are two different kinds of incubators, still air and forced air and there are three basic physical principles for incubation: temperature, humidity and egg turning (which are the same for both types of incubator), however the methods used are different for each. This info is with courtesy of Greg Davies - The Chook Shed at

3 SCHUKO ALMELO advertisement We import and sell incubators from Italy, from a factory that is developing incubators since 1946 and providing these in the capacities of 24 up to 120, 000 eggs. So they will sure understand your unique incubation needs. They manufacture both Incubators (Setters) and Hatchers; at the smaller machines this is often combined. New developed and already a great success in the market is the type S-084a. (see photograph) This is a fully automatic machine with digital temperature regulation and automatic turning system. The temperature is read with an analogue thermometer. The machine is suitable for 84 chicken eggs and has a setter and a hatcher compartment, and is provided with a glass door that allows an crystal clear inside view to observe the hatching process! You have come to the right address if you need personal advice. In the past, before distributing these Italian incubators, we used to build our own type of incubator with great success. We are poultry fanciers ourselves and have over 50 years of experience with incubating eggs. All our incubators can be delivered with digital display and also with fully automatic humidity control system. Schuko-Almelo Wiekslagen TA Almelo Tel

4 Information courtesy of Surehatch How do I candle eggs? In a dark room, hold the egg to the light of the candler to observe the contents of the egg. Cooling that occurs for short periods (less than 10 minutes) during careful examination of eggs does not harm the development of the embryo. However, limit the exposure of the egg to the hot light source! The presence of embryos can be confirmed easily after 8 days to 12 days of incubation. After day 3 you should see something. At about 8 days, you can see the chick wiggling and kicking in his egg. See movie How do I spot bad eggs? The egg on the left shows a ring at 6 days. This ring is formed by concentrated bacteria which has invaded the eggs' membrane. It can become present very early, or after the chick has already started to form, as in the picture on the right. In the picture on the right the ring, or portion of it, can be seen at the bottom of the egg with the expired chick in the middle. For a different reason. The egg on the left shows a blood spot. In my experience an egg with a blood spot will not hatch. They will go bad and blow up, though. The egg on the right at 6 days shows "clear". It is infertile, or too old to germinate. The egg on the left shows a blood spot incubated to 8 days. You can see the bacterial ring forming at this point. Soon this egg will start to "weep", and if it isn't caught in time, it will explode into a stinky mess. The egg on the right shows highly defined pores. Eggs that look like this under candling have a slim chance of hatching in my experience. I've noticed that it mostly depends on the severity of the porosity.

5 Candling is best learned by doing it, and really is just as simple as you make it. However, if questions arise about candling, contact someone with experience for advice. Remove infertile or non-growing eggs from the incubator. Fertile eggs On the left, you can see the "spider" of veins growing away from the peep. This egg is at 6 days. Sometimes you can see this spider in a smaller version at 3 days already. The egg on the right is at 2 weeks. You can see the clear spot beneath, with the yolk and peep floating at the top. The embryo is located in the large end of the egg, where blood vessels radiate under the surface of the shell. The living embryo will appear as a dark spot in the large end of the egg surrounded by a faint outline of blood vessels. The dark spot that becomes larger as incubation progresses. Eventually only a dark mass and the air cell are seen. Hatching HUMIDITY Getting the humidity to become as accurate as your temperature is nearly impossible. It is almost completely impossible with a small incubator. Try to get the humidity as close as you can, and you'll be fine. To adjust humidity, you need to change the surface area of water in your incubator. The depth of water has absolutely no bearing on the humidity in the incubator (unless the depth is zero). If the humidity is too low in your incubator, add surface area; thus place an extra pan of water in the incubator, or a wet sponge. To decrease the humidity, remove surface area, thus use smaller or less containers of water. See also

6 advertisement R Com 20 New The most advanced but easy to use incubator in West Europe. Capacity 20 chicken eggs or an equivalent. Temperature and humidity is digitally controlled and displayed! Alarms when water shortage. Turning system can be switched off. Hatching compartment separately available. High accuracy automatic temperature and humidity control. Ideal for all kinds of expensive eggs such as parrots, parakeets, birds of prey, but certainly also for the novice poultry keeper, thanks to its easy to use control system. 1 year warranty to any manufacturing defect. Price, incl.vat More incubators at Calaignestraat 20 B 9160 Eksaarde ( Lokeren ) Belgium

7 advertisement 2ND GENERATION CONTACT INCUBATION The most flexible high performance incubator available Brinsea Products Ltd Brinsea Products Inc See next page for more info

8 NEW! CONTACT INCUBATION TECHNOLOGY THE COMPLETE COMBINATION OF BIRD AND NEST Conventional artificial incubation is very artificial. It surrounds the eggs with warm air, rotating them regularly but not changing their environment greatly. This has proved successful for the mass breeding of poultry, particularly as, over many generations, the breeding programmes have self-selected for birds which flourish in the artificial environment. But for other species, artificial incubation is less satisfactory. Compare this artificial environment with natural incubation in the nest. The bird sits on the eggs with a brood patch, often plucked to bare skin, passing body warmth from the bird to the egg through a small contact area. At irregular intervals the bird gets up and rearranges the eggs. This exposes them to cool air. When she settles down, a different part of the egg is in contact with the brood patch. Some species even leave the eggs exposed, letting them cool while they forage for food or defend their territory. Academic research on egg incubation has shown that for some species in the nest there can be a temperature difference across the egg of over 10 degrees. The top of the egg, in contact with the brood patch, can be as high as 40 degrees centigrade while the bottom of the egg can be as low as 29 degrees while brooding. (And during bird absences, the whole egg can fall to as low as 20 degrees). How heat flow, the developing embryo and the brood patch interact to produce strong chicks, has proved to be far more complex than previously suspected. It is now established that the heat flow through the egg, passed downward from the contact area, is important in determining embryo growth and successful incubation. Building on this research, Brinsea have created Contact Incubation Technology (CIT). This reproduces the brood area by inflating a plastic skin with warm air. As it inflates, the skin presses gently but firmly on the eggs sitting on rollers on a moveable base. Air can flow through this base, creating an environment which mimics the nest. Deflating the skin simulates the bird standing while moving the base reproduces the natural egg movements. For Key Standard Features and Specifications on the CONTAQ Z6 please see next page.

9 C.I.T & Z6 the complete combination of bird and nest CONTAQ Z6 Key standard features Contact incubation, conventional moving air and hatching modes. Reliable, flexible and easy to use micro-processor control system with improved temperature stability with Enhanced Proportional Derivative (PD) temperature control. Microprocessor controlled roller turning system allowing full control of turning interval, angle and direction including randomization feature. Mains and 12v DC supply inputs allow battery backup in case of mains failure. High accuracy calibrating thermometer supplied, so control system calibration can be checked easily. High accuracy automatic humidity control. High quality stainless and galvanised steel cabinet construction for long life and ease of cleaning with integral heat retaining insulation panels improving electrical efficiency and temperature control. Two stage air filtration in moving air and hatching modes to keep the air clean for emerging chicks. Front loading drawer design gives ideal access to eggs and chicks whilst being stackable and space efficient. Specifications: External dimensions: 32cm x 66cm x 59cm (121 2" x 26" x 231 4" ) H x W x D Weight: 30Kg Power consumption: 110W max and 60W nominal operating Input voltage: 12v DC and 115v AC or 12v DC and 230v AC as specified Examples of typical maximum egg capacities: Quail 152, hen 60, goose 24, macaw 100, parakeet 200 Brinsea Products Ltd sales@brinsea.co.uk Brinsea Products Inc sales@brinsea.com

10 STILL AIR INCUBATOR The still air type incubator is the trickier of the two to set up correctly. An incubator works best in a room with a steady air temperature of around degrees Farenheit. The incubator must be set exactly level or temperature variations will occur inside the egg chamber. The temperature is set to 103 degrees Farenheit, which is very close to that which is found under a broody hen. The temperature in this type of incubator is measured at the top of the egg. Unfortunately, this means that eggs of different sizes cannot be successfully incubated together in a still air machine. Wet bulb thermometers do not prove successful in still air incubators, so humidity must be measured by regularly checking the air cell inside the eggs. Eggs which have air cells which grow too large indicate humidity settings which are too low. When turning eggs in a still air incubator, it is best to have an external turning mechanism. This means the egg chamber does not have to be disturbed too often, lessening the occurrences of excessive temperature fluctuations. FORCED AIR INCUBATOR The forced air incubator uses a fan mechanism to move the warm air around the egg chamber. This means a wider range of egg sizes can be incubated together as the ambient air temperature is more evenly dispersed within the incubator. This incubator is usually set at 99 to 100 degrees Farenheit. Humidity setting can be accurately measured with a wet bulb thermometer with usual settings of 82 to 88 degrees Farenheit for setting and 94 degrees Farenheit and over for hatching. Egg turning is usually facilitated from outside the egg chamber by a mechanical device. With both kinds of incubators, it is important to stop egg turning three days before the hatching date. No matter which type of incubator you opt for, keep a notebook detailing any problems and successes which are encountered. The next page details incubator problems and how to fix them: This info is with courtesy of Greg Davies The Chook Shed at Photo: Gea Markvoort

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12 Temperature Development of the embryo can only take place at the correct temperature. Too cool and the chicks hatch late and are generally soft and weak. Too hot and the chicks hatch early, may be deformed, have bloody navels which refuse to heal and are generally weak. The correct temperature varies depending on the type of machine is being used. Humidity Without adequate humidity, the egg loses too much moisture; too much humidity the egg loses too little moisture. Again, this is variable between the two kinds of incubators, due to air flow and ventilation methods. Egg turning For many years it was believed that the hen turned the egg to prevent the embryo sticking to the shell membranes. While this is certainly one reason for turning the eggs, the main reasons are to float the embryo to fresh food within the egg and to move it away from its own wastes. To give the embryo the best chance, turning should take place at least three times each day and optimally more often. Eggs which are collected from breeding birds which have not been fed a high protein diet must be turned more often than those from well-fed stock. This info is with courtesy of Greg Davies - The Chook Shed at Turning by hand If eggs are turned by hand they should be turned several times per day (minimum five times daily), and always turned an odd number of times so that the egg is on opposite sides for the longest internal (overnight) on alternate nights. Eggs should be marked with "O" on one side and "X" on the opposite side, and all turned so that the "O" is uppermost on all the eggs after one turning and the "X" is uppermost after the following turning. Eggs should be turned in one direction one day and the other direction the following day (i.e. rotated along their long axis clockwise and anticlockwise alternately). Continual rotation in the same direction may lead to problems such as twisting of the chalazae, rupture of the yolk sac or rupture of blood vessels in the embryo. More Incubation Info & Tips SUREHATCH is a worldwide distributor of all sorts of incubators in the United States, UK and Europe, Africa and Middle East.

13 Advertisement Maino Enrico-Adriano Company Manufacturer of Incubators and Hatchers since 1945 New! Our 4EGGS Cabinet incubator+hatcher, with box made of hard PVC panels and with Plexiglas door that allows crystal clear internal vision! Incubator + Hatcher With Excellent Digital Temperature Control Add-on Controller. The incubator comes standard in version with temperature control and Easy to read digital display, which you can bolt on extra higher specifications for reading the humidity, for full controlling of the humidity and also cooling to avoid any kind of stress problem due to high temperatures. A machine for people that are looking for that extra capacity beyond the beginner stage and still at a very affordable price. 100% Uniquely Italian Designed machine (not a converted plastic box). Fully Insulated Machine (PVC hard panels with aluminum profiles), meaning that it can be used in much lower ambient temperatures than uninsulated incubators, especially the cheaper plastic incubators, which can have difficulties maintaining the incubator temperatures when the external temperature is lower. This machine has been designed with this in mind and to meet the incubation requirements of coldest areas of the World. All the new models of 4EGGS line, are also fan assisted to enhance even better air flow through out the machine. You can hatch any kind of eggs without buying any other kind of tray, because the 4EGGS incubators are standard provided with adjustable universal eggs tray system to fit eggs from Canary to Goose and also Automatic roll turning trays without reduces in the capacity. Hatcher baskets are provided in the same quantity of incubation trays, so if you intend to hatch in this machine, this makes an excellent hatcher and the Plexiglas door allows the very crystal clear visibility inside the machine, to see all the chicks hatching out. The humidity trays at the bottom of the machine ensure high levels of humidity during both incubation and hatching. All the 4EGGS incubators are supplied with Easy to understand comprehensive instructions, with Full 24 month warranty to any manufacturing defect and the CE certificate is issued by European Competent Body Institute. Standard Electrical Supply in 230 Volts AC, but also are available on demand (option) with 110 Vac & 12Vdc All 4EGGS Incubator + Hatcher are made with recyclable materials, are Energy Saving & Environment friendly.

14 The best starting incubator ideal for the beginner. Finished to a high standard, and using superior components, this incubator represents great value for money. Built to last this incubator comes with a two year manufacturers warranty. They are made to full satisfy the people in the next season 2009 and for some following years! Capacity: Model: 4EGGS 64-4EGGS 90-4EGGS 140 Hen / Duck / Black Turkey: Pheasant / Bantam / Guinea Fowl: Red Partridge: Grey Partridge / Quail: Goose / Giant Turkey / Peacock: Prices each including VAT - Ex Works Italy: 4EGGS P64X 538,27 4EGGS P90X 597,34 4EGGS P140X 709,44 MAINO ENRICO-ADRIANO S.n.c. C.E.E. - Lombardia Italy contact maino@maino.it for a list of distributors in your home country

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